Cooling process of a granitic body deduced from the extents of exsolution and deuteric sub-solidus reactions: Case study of the Okueyama granitic body, Kyushu, Japan

The variation in cooling processes with depth in a magma body is evaluated quantitatively by analysis of the extent of exsolution coarsening and deuteric coarsening as sub-solidus reactions. This method is applied to evaluation of the Okueyama granitic body of central Kyushu, Japan. Exsolution coarsening has produced microperthite textures in this body, while deuteric coarsening has resulted in patchperthite, myrmekite, and reaction rims, respectively. Through measurement of six textural parameters, including the width and spacing of lamellae and the thickness of myrmekite and reaction rims, the extent of these sub-solidus reactions is shown to increase systematically with depth in the granite body, indicating that the Okueyama cooled gradually from the roof. The hornblende–plagioclase and ternary feldspar thermometers indicate temperature a range of 710 to 620 °C for volume diffusion associated with exsolution coarsening, while deuteric coarsening is found to have occurred at temperatures below 500 °C on the basis of the ternary feldspar thermometer. The cooling period corresponding to exsolution coarsening is estimated using a one-dimensional heat transfer model, yielding periods of 820 y at the roof and 1390–1890 y at the base of the exposure (1000 m below the roof) depending on total depth of the original magma body.     

The examination of fracturing process subjected to triaxial compression test in Inada granite

The behavior of a granite subject to a triaxial compression test ranging from the prefailure stage to the postfailure stage was studied using a fluorescent technique from the geological point of view. Microscopic observations of the specimens at different stages showed changes in the failure process. The start of formation of new microcracks paralleled the compression direction through their propagation until the onset of faulting and ended with the failure of shear zones after the strength failure point. Pores chiefly identified in the feldspar increased in length and width in the early stages, but not in number. It seems that the effect of pore spaces did not have any effect of failure. The microcracks generated on angular edges of quartz or feldspar grains and around biotite grains with increasing compression force. The phenomenon appearing on the crystal boundaries among biotite and quartz or feldspar agrees with the result calculated based on the theory on stress fields with ellipsoidal inhomogeneity suggested by Eshelby.     

A Test of Mining Simulations for Phosphorus Adjustment in a Limestone Quarry - Dynamic Programming Compared with a Genetic Algorithm

Limestone quarries where slaked lime is produced for steel makers have been urged to reduce the concentration of phosphorus in their products. In a few quarries in Japan, limestone blocks with low concentrations are blended with limestone blocks with high concentrations to stay below the limit of permitted phosphorus quality. The life of the quarry is extended as long as possible by this blending. Some quarries have a geological database with accurate records of the operations for phosphorus adjustment.However, the combination problem of these blocks typically is addressed by Dynamic Programming; that is, all combinations of possible limestone blocks are examined in the solving process; the combination numbers are so huge that the optimum combination cannot be solved in practical process times. Although it took 8 hours to solve for 600 blocks with a 2GHz high performance personal computer, it would take more than 36 days to approximately solve for 1200 blocks, and 3,378 days are estimated to solve 2,400 blocks. Therefore, a Genetic Algorithm was used to try and work out the optimum combination. First, blocks that can be removed are selected in the quarry and their removal sequence makes the genotype. The Order-base or the Grefenstette method was applied to avoid generating lethal genes in crossover. The fitness value was estimated by the number of products that included less than the permitted concentration of phosphorus.The GA process took less than 3 hours to solve for 1,200 blocks. Because the processing time is almost proportional to the block numbers, this GA method is practical in large quarries. Moreover, this method is easy to apply to other conditions in mining plans, such as environmental protection, noise prevention and eyesore problems. These problems are becoming important factors in quarries near towns in Japan.     

Tectonic evolution of the triple junction off central Honshu for the past 1 million years

We discuss several models of the evolution of the trench-trench-trench triple junction off central Honshu during the past 1 m.y. on the basis of plate kinematics, morphology, gravity and seismic reflection profile data available for the area. The study area is characterized by large basins, 7–8 km deep on the inner lower trench slope on the Philippine Sea side and the deep (9 km) Izu-Bonin Trench to the east. Between the basins and the trench, there are 6–7 km-deep basement highs. The triple junction is unstable due to the movement of the Philippine Sea plate at a velocity of 3 cm/yr in WNW direction with respect to Eurasia (Northeast Japan), subparallel to the strike of the Sagami Trough. Generally we can expect the boundary area between the Philippine Sea and Pacific plates to be extended because the Pacific plate is unlikely to follow the retreating Philippine Sea plate due to the obstruction of the southeastern corner of Eurasia. The above peculiar morphology of the junction area could have resulted from this lack of stability. However, there are several possible ways to explain the above morphology.

Our gravity model across the trench-basement high-basin area shows that the basement highs are made of low-density materials (1.8–2 g/cm³). Thus we reject the mantle diapir model which proposes that the basement highs have been formed by diapiric injection of serpentinites between the retreating Philippine Sea plate and the Pacific plate.

The stretched basin model proposes that the basins have been formed by stretching of the Philippine Sea plate wedge. We estimated the extension to be about 10 km at the largest basin. We reconstructed the morphology at 1 Ma by moving the Philippine Sea plate 20 km farther to the east after closing the basins, and thus obtained 8 km depth of the 1 Ma trench, which is similar to that of the present Japan Trench to the north. Although this stretched basin model can explain the formation of the basins and the deep trench, other models are equally possible. For instance, the eduction model explains the origin of the basin by the eduction of the Philippine Sea basement from beneath the basement high, while the accretion model explains the basement highs by the accretion of the Izu-Bonin trench wedge sediments. In both of these models we can reconstruct the 1 Ma trench depth as about 8 km, similar to that of the stretched basin model.

The deformation of the basement of the basins constitutes the best criterion to differentiate between these models. The multi-channel seismic reflection profiles show that the basement of the largest basin is cut by normal faults, in particular at its eastern edge. This suggests that the stretched basin model is most likely. However, the upper part of the sediments shows that the basement high to the east has been recently uplifted. This uplift is probably due to the recent (0.5 Ma) start of accretion of the trench wedge sediments beneath this basement high.     

Kinetic modeling of the coesite–quartz transition in an elastic field and its implication for the exhumation of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks

The present paper examines a kinetic model of the coesite–quartz transition under an elastic field. This model is applied to discuss the possible exhumation path of ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks. By incorporating the model of transition kinetics into a three-shelled composite sphere model in linear elasticity, the internal stresses in coesite, quartz, and garnet shells were calculated for given external pressure ( P )–temperature ( T ) paths. The occurrence of rupture provides a constraint on the temperature and the amount of quartz inverted from coesite at the rupture for each P–T path. Comparison of calculated results and the natural occurrence of coesite inclusion from the Dora Maira Massif, containing ∼ 27% quartz at the rupture, enables us to constrain the possible exhumation path and possible transition kinetics. A steep decompression path with slow transition kinetics is most favorable, which is consistent with the estimated P–T path during exhumation for most UHP metamorphic rocks.     

Steady diffusion model for olivine-plagioclase corona growth

This paper describes an application of a steady diffusion model (Joesten, 1977) to an olivineplagioclase corona and some new results about a theoretical background on the steady diffusion equations.The olivine-plagioclase corona in a metanorite from Mt. Ikoma. Japan, has a layer sequence of olivinecummingtonite-hornblende + spinel-plagioclase. An analysis of a set of steady diffusion equations for the corona in the four-component system, MgO-AlO_{$\text{3}\text{2}$}-SiO₂-Na_0.1Ca_0.9O_0.95 (NC) with excess H₂O. successfully gives the exchange cycle (Fisher, 1973) in the layer sequence with specific values of the phenomenological coefficients' ratios; $\text{L}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>MgMg</mtext>}}\text{L}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>SiSi</mtext>}}$, $\text{L}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>MgMg</mtext>}}\text{L}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>AlAl</mtext>}}$ and $\text{L}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>MgMg</mtext>}}\text{L}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>NCNC</mtext>}}$. The factor which controls most strictly the stability of the layer sequence under isobaric-isothermal conditions is $\text{L}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>MgMg</mtext>}}\text{L}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>AlAl</mtext>}}$.Theoretical considerations on the steady diffusion equations show that the L-ratios does not depend on concentrations even if the phenomenological coefficients themselves are functions of concentrations. Equivalence of the steady state condition and the minimum rate of entropy production law (Prigogine, 1967) is also proved for the system with fixed chemical potential gradients under isobaric-isothermal conditions, such as reaction bands. These results give a strong background for the model.     

CO2-metasomatism of a metabasite block in a serpentine melange from the Nishisonogi metamorphic rocks,southwest Japan

Local fluid migration through a serpentine melange caused successive carbonation of a metabasite block (about 80 meter in diameter) during the uplift stage of the glaucophanitic metamorphic rocks, the Nishisonogi metamorphics, southwest Japan. The block shows a zonal sequence as follows. Zone 1: original greenschist (Am+Ep+ Chl+Ab+Sph+Qtz). Zone 2: epidote disappears by the reaction Ep+Am+CO₂+H₂O=Chl+Cc+Qtz. Zone 3: balc appears by the reaction Am+CO₂+H₂O=Ta+Cc+ Qtz. Zone 4:sphene breakdowns by the reaction Sph+ CO₂=Rt+Cc+Qtz. Zone 5: amphibole disappears by the two simultaneous reactions, Am+CO₂=Do+Ta+Qtz and Ta+Cc+CO₂=Do+Qtz+H₂O. Zone 7: albite is replaced by chlorite, calcite, dolomite and quartz, and the assemblage of Do+Cc+Chl+Rt+Qtz is stable. Analyses of phase relations indicate an introduction of CO₂-rich fluid into the greenschist body during regional metamorphism. The CO₂-rich fluid may have formed by devolatilization reactions between serpentinite and graphite-bearing metasediments. The fluid migrated within the melange through a channelized pathway and into the greenschist body from a deeper part of the melange.     

Thermal equation of state of CaIrO<Subscript>3</Subscript> post-perovskite

The pressure–volume–temperature (P–V–T) relation of CaIrO₃ post-perovskite (ppv) was measured at pressures and temperatures up to 8.6 GPa and 1,273 K, respectively, with energy-dispersive synchrotron X-ray diffraction using a DIA-type, cubic-anvil apparatus (SAM85). Unit-cell dimensions were derived from the Le Bail full profile refinement technique, and the results were fitted using the third-order Birth-Murnaghan equation of state. The derived bulk modulus \( K_{T0} \) at ambient pressure and temperature is 168.3 ± 7.1 GPa with a pressure derivative \( K_{T0}^{\prime } \) = 5.4 ± 0.7. All of the high temperature data, combined with previous experimental data, are fitted using the high-temperature Birch-Murnaghan equation of state, the thermal pressure approach, and the Mie-Grüneisen-Debye formalism. The refined thermoelastic parameters for CaIrO₃ ppv are: temperature derivative of bulk modulus \( (\partial K_{T} /\partial T)_{P} \) = ?0.038 ± 0.011 GPa K^?1, \( \alpha K_{T} \) = 0.0039 ± 0.0001 GPa K^?1, \( \left( {\partial K_{T} /\partial T} \right)_{V} \) = ?0.012 ± 0.002 GPa K^?1, and \( \left( {\partial^{2} P/\partial T^{2} } \right)_{V} \) = 1.9 ± 0.3 × 10^?6 GPa² K^?2. Using the Mie-Grüneisen-Debye formalism, we obtain Grüneisen parameter \( \gamma_{0} \) = 0.92 ± 0.01 and its volume dependence q = 3.4 ± 0.6. The systematic variation of bulk moduli for several oxide post-perovskites can be described approximately by the relationship K _T0  = 5406.0/V(molar) + 5.9 GPa.     

Identification of typical synoptic patterns causing heavy rainfall in the rainy season in Japan by a Self-Organizing Map

In order to systematically and visually understand well-known but qualitative and complex relationships between synoptic fields and heavy rainfall events in Kyushu Islands, southwestern Japan, during the BAIU season, these synoptic fields were classified using the Self-Organizing Map (SOM), which can convert complex non-linear features into simple two-dimensional relationships. It was assumed that the synoptic field patterns could be simply expressed by the spatial distribution of (1) wind components at the 850 hPa level and (2) precipitable water (PW) defined by the water vapor amount contained in a vertical column of the atmosphere. By the SOM algorithm and the clustering techniques of the U-matrix and the K-means, the synoptic fields could be divided into eight kinds of patterns (clusters). One of the clusters has the notable spatial features represented by a large PW content accompanied by strong wind components known as low-level jet (LLJ). The features of this cluster indicate a typical synoptic field pattern that frequently causes heavy rainfall in Kyushu during the rainy season.In addition, an independent data set was used for validating the performance of the trained SOM. The results indicated that the SOM could successfully extract heavy rainfall events related to typical synoptic field patterns of the BAIU season. Interestingly, one specific SOM unit was closely related to the occurrence of disastrous heavy rainfall events observed during both training and validation periods. From these results, the trained SOM showed good performance for identifying synoptic fields causing heavy rainfall also in the validation period. We conclude that the SOM technique may be an effective tool for classifying complicated non-linear synoptic fields and identifying heavy rainfall events to some degree.